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KALAMAZOO — Congressional measures for creating jobs for Americans and repairing the nation’s economy were the focus of remarks by Sen. Carl Levin, as he made stops in Kalamazoo today.

The Detroit Democrat addressed members of the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce in one morning meeting and later the Kalamazoo Gazette Editorial Board.

Levin said the Senate next week will take up legislation intended to spur job growth, particularly for small businesses.

Though measures used thus far to prop up the economy — specifically the federal stimulus package — have been unpopular with the public, they have helped keep thousands of people employed and the overall economy afloat, Levin said.

“Thousands of teachers, cops firefighters have their jobs because of the stimulus,” he said.

Michigan’s budget is in poor shape, Levin said, but “if you deduct that money that came from the federal government in the stimulus package, we would be in far, far worse trouble than we are now.”

In Washington D.C. next week, the Senate will be addressing legislation that Levin said will hopefully encourage employers to begin hiring.

The jobs package includes proposals such as extending tax credits to companies for any newly hired employees, as well as a temporary waiver of employer Social Security tax contributions for new hires.

“Those two provisions, particularly for new hires, we hope will give firms that are wondering whether or not to bring back people who’ve been unemployed or hire new people ... an incentive” to take on new employees, he told Chamber members.

Levin said he expects the legislation, which he described as a “stripped-down jobs package,” to pass because he said it has support from Republicans and Democrats.

An element not included in this package — which was included in an earlier version — is an extension of unemployment insurance benefits. Though this narrower version does not include an extension, Levin said that soon will be the subject of legislation also.

Passage of a provision to extend benefits for the unemployed is “a near certainty” but not guaranteed, Levin cautioned. “I don’t want to raise hopes and then not have them be fulfilled,” he told Kalamazoo Gazette editors and reporters.